The Forest
by random-riter
Summary: Star has always been pretty reckless. But launching herself out of a cannon and ending up lost in a massive forest is a whole new kind of reckless. Tired and hurt, Star and Marco now need to navigate out of a dangerous new dimension and find a way home.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first time doing a request, so I hope it turns out ok. Hope you guys like it!**

"C'mon, Marco!" Star grabbed Marco by his hood and pulled him out of his chair, dragging him towards the swirling portal.

"Star, wait!" said Marco as he rose to his feet, forcing the girl to stop, though she didn't release her grip on Marco's hood. "What's so important that we need to go right now?"

"You need to see this thing I found! It's _amazing_!" Star's eyes sparkled with excitement. "C'mon, I wanna show you." She began to pull on Marco's hood once again.

"Star."

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!? Marco, we can't keep stalling! What if someone moves the thing!? Why are you so against this?"

Marco sighed, set his hand on his best friend's shoulder, and gestured to the classroom filled with a couple dozen giggling students and one very annoyed teacher. "Because it's the middle of the school day, Star. And we were already late today since you wanted to go dimension hopping before school. So just wait a little longer and we can go after school, okay?"

Star sat down in a huff and pouted. "Fine, I'll wait. But if we don't get to see the thing, it's all your fault."

Marco chuckled. "Alright, Star. But it's only a few hours. I'm sure the 'thing' will be fine."

* * *

The final school bell rang as the students of Echo Creek Academy ran out of their classrooms. As Marco was packing his things, he noticed Star running up to him. "Okay, Marco. Can we go _now_?" pleaded Star.

"Alright, alright. Let's just go home to drop off our stuff first, then we—"

"Nope, we're going right now," interrupted Star as she once again grabbed Marco by the hood. With her free hand, she pulled out her dimensional scissors, cut open a portal, and threw Marco inside.

Before he knew what had happened, Marco found himself lying face down in the grass. He looked up to see Star smiling at something behind him. With a sigh, he rose to his feet and brushed the dirt off his jeans. He looked around. They were standing at the top of a hill overlooking a vast forest. The trees reached all the way to the horizon, stretching out like an ocean in every direction. In fact, the hill seemed to be the only landmark in sight.

"Well, then I guess were going now," deadpanned Marco. "So what exactly was so exciting that we had to go immediately?"

"THIS!" shouted Star as she gestured with both arms to an object behind Marco.

Marco looked to where Star was pointing and his eyes widened in surprise. In front of the teenagers was an ornate cannon. It was made entirely out of gold, bedazzled with gemstones of all colors and sizes. The only part of it that wasn't dazzling in the light was the fuse, a small strand of rope dangling on the edge.

"Woah…Star, how did you find this thing?" asked Marco as he turned toward Star. Star, however, was nowhere to be seen. The only sign of her was her purse, which had been set down near the base of the cannon. "Star? Hey, Star? Where'd you go?"

"I'm in here!" shouted Star, as her head popped out of the cannon. "Now, let's light this puppy up! I wanna see how far I can blast myself in this thing!" She raised her wand, preparing to light the fuse.

"Star!" Marco dropped his backpack and ran towards the cannon. He snatched the wand out of Star's hand before she had a chance to cast her spell. "Get out of there! Nobody's launching anybody out of a cannon. That's just reckless!"

Star looked disheartened. "Yeah, I guess you're right…"

Marco nodded and turned to grab his things. "Good. Now, c'mon we have—"

"But it could also be _fun_!"

Marco sighed and turned back around to see Star looking at him with sad puppy-dog eyes. "Star, you can't launch yourself out of a cannon. You could get hurt and end up lost in that forest. Besides, we don't know why this thing is here, so I'd rather not touch it." Marco tapped the wand against the golden cannon, and, to his surprise and Star's delight, a beam of light shot out of the wand, lighting the fuse. "Oops…"

"Thanks, Marco!" sang Star.

 _BOOM_

"WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! YEAH!" cried Star as she flew through the air.

"STAR!" Marco looked on in shock as he watched his best friend fly into the forest that lay ahead of them. As Star grew smaller in the distance, Marco had no choice but to move. He began to run in the direction Star had flown, chasing the trail of smoke behind Star.

 **And that's the first chapter. Unfortunately, I have finals coming up, so I need to get ready for that, so this one will probably will take me some time to finish. But I'll do my best to make sure it doesn't take too long.**


	2. Chapter 2

**After over a year, I'm finally returning to finish what I started. To anyone who read the first chapter back when it was new, sorry it took so long. To the person who gave me the prompt for this story, I'm really, really sorry. Life happened and I forgot where I was going to take the story, so I just ended up abandoning it. But I'm back! And I'm going to finish it! Also, a lot has happened in the actual show since I started this story, so don't try to fit it anywhere in the timeline. And, on the off chance this turns out to be similar to anything that has happened in the show, I've only seen up through the Battle for Mewni, so please don't be mad at me. Anyway, enough talk. Here's the long-awaited Chapter 2. Enjoy!**

Star woke up dazed. Every part of her body ached, and her clothes were torn and dirty. The last thing she remembered was being fired out of the cannon on the hill, but she didn't remember where she had landed. Looking around, Star found herself in the middle of a vast forest, underneath a large tree. Scattered around where she was resting were broken sticks and scattered leaves. All she could see in every direction was trees. Yet the trees themselves weren't uniform. Countless different species were mixed together, all coexisting in the forest. Everything from redwoods to palms, cherry blossoms to pine trees. Species from different climates, different parts of the world, all mixed together in this forest. There were even some fruit trees, as well as trees that Star was sure didn't exist on either Earth or Mewni.

Star also noticed that, except for the grass that made up the forest floor, the only plant life, or rather, the only sign of life at all, was the trees. No bushes. No ferns. Not even any saplings. Just fully-grown trees. An eerie silence hung over the entire forest. It was as if the whole area was frozen in time. There weren't any small animals or birds gathering food or scurrying about. No wind blew through to rustle the leaves. Everything stood still. It might have been beautiful if it weren't so unsettling.

Looking up, Star could see the reason she had been unconscious. The tree above her, a redwood as far as Star could tell, had several broken branches. It was obvious that Star hadn't landed her flight very well. Instead, she must had hit the tree, and tumbled down through the branches before hitting the ground and falling unconscious.

Star took a moment to look around for her wand before remembering that it wasn't with her. Marco had been holding it when she was launched. 'Right,' thought Star. "So no wand, no Marco, and no way of knowing where I am. Nothing I can't handle. I'll just climb back up this tree and I should be able to see the hill from there.'

Confident in her ability, and rather proud of her plan, Star rose to her feet to put her plan into action. But, as the girl tried to stand, it was almost as if her left foot somehow missed the ground entirely, and Star fell face first into the grass. 'Ok, weird,' she thought. 'Let's try that again.' Getting up once more, this time, Star got both feet on the ground.

And felt a sharp pain shoot up her left leg.

The girl collapsed back to the ground immediately, shocked and confused. Turning into a sitting position, Star looked down at her leg to find the source of the problem.

Her leg, halfway up her shin, was bent in a way that shouldn't be possible. The bone had snapped, a result of her rough landing, leaving her foot and the bottom half of her shin pointing out sideways at an unnatural angle.

All at once, Star's brain registered the injury. A wave of excruciating pain washed over Star as she stared down in horror at her leg. She began to panic as the reality of her situation settled in. She was lost, unable to walk, unable to get help, somewhere in the vastness of this peaceful, horrible forest.

Star began to hyperventilate. Tears started running down the girl's cheeks, as her heart birthmarks broke. Her thoughts were cloudy. Using her arms, she pushed herself back, until she was leaning against the redwood. In that moment, Star had never felt more afraid. Partially out of fear, partially out of pain, and unable to do anything else, Star let out a shriek.

"Now what's all this noise about?"

An unfamiliar male voice came from above where Star was sitting. She looked up to see a jet-black crow perched on one of the tree's broken branches.

"Who…are…?" Star whimpered. It was hard to speak through her tears, but, holding on to the hope that this bird might be able to help her escape this nightmare, Star did her best to force out a sentence.

The bird, however, ignored her attempts. "So, you were the one who used the cannon. I have to say, she's not happy about this. Really, it's rather unfortunate to see you hurt, since it'll be all the more difficult to avoid her now."

"'Her'…who…?"

Once again, Star was ignored. "By the way, wasn't there a boy with you? He's not entirely innocent here either. I believe I saw him light the cannon. Am I wrong?"

Star's thoughts immediately went to Marco. There's no way he would abandon her. He's probably out looking for her right now. He would be able to save her. "Marco…"

"Ah, so 'Marco' is his name, is it?" The crow turned his head to look out over the treetops. "I imagine he'll be joining us soon. At least, if he survives. Like I said, she's not very amused at the moment." The crow looked back down at Star and smiled. Seeing a crow smile would have been disturbing enough, but there was something fundamentally wrong with the crow's crooked smirk, something Star found profoundly unnerving. There was no way to describe it, but Star was overcome with the feeling that Marco was in serious trouble. She turned to face the direction the crow had looked and whispered, "Marco…be safe…please…"

* * *

Marco ran through the forest, keeping his eyes on the sky. It was difficult, with the thick canopy, but Marco did his best to look past all the leaves and branches and follow the trail of smoke Star had left as she flew through the sky. But that trail was fading fast. 'Dammit,' thought Marco, continuing to jump over roots and dodge tree trunks. 'C'mon Star. Where are you? Help me out a little.'

Just then, from somewhere not too far ahead of him, he heard a terrible scream. It was her. It had to be. "Star!" shouted the boy. Marco immediately broke into a full sprint dead ahead. Star might be in trouble. She might be hurt. He had to get there as soon as possible.

He barely noticed when the forest began to grow darker, and the trees became more ominous. Rather than the spring-like beauty he had seen before, this area of the forest contained trees that were warped, twisted. Though he tried to ignore it, Marco couldn't help but feel like some strange, oppressive power was hidden among these trees. It was like there was something watching him, something that wasn't happy with his presence.

The trees' branches were lower than before, forcing Marco to duck and dodge to avoid being hit. Twigs caught on his clothes, leaving small tears in his jeans and hoodie. At one point in the thickening forest, a particularly long branch caught his shoulder, leaving a small cut on his upper arm, enough to draw a drop or two of blood, but no more serious than a paper cut. Marco paid it no mind. All that mattered to him was getting to Star as fast as possible.

After a few minutes of running, the forest returned to its previous state, and the trees, once again, looked normal. The strange power Marco had felt seemed to dissipate, and it wasn't long before he finally saw Star. She was sitting under a big redwood tree. He could see her eyes were red, and it was obvious she had been crying. "Star!" shouted Marco, as he ran over to her.

"Marco…help…" Star whimpered. As Marco approached the battered Star, he quickly noticed her leg, and reached into the pocket of his hoodie to retrieve Star's wand. He handed it to the girl, saying, "Here. This can fix it, right? You've been practicing that bone-healing spell, right?"

Star nodded and took the wand. After muttering the spell as best she could, a beam of light shot out of the wand, hitting Star's leg. A moment later, Star jumped at Marco, pulling the boy into a tight hug. "Oh, thank God, you're ok, Marco. I was so scared. I thought…I thought something bad was gonna happen." Star's voice was unsteady, as if the girl could break out into tears again at any moment.

Marco hugged back and whispered reassuringly, "Hey, it's ok. I'm here. Everything is going to be fine."

"But…but he said—"

"I'm glad you could join us, Marco. Although, really, you shouldn't keep a girl waiting like that," the crow interrupted. Both teens looked up to see the bird staring at them, though he was on a lower branch now, closer to the pair.

"Who are you? And how long have you been there?" demanded Marco, suspicious of the crow's intentions, and somewhat angry at himself for not noticing it before.

"How long have I been here? Well, I think that's quite a rude question, don't you? I've been here for quite some time, while the time you two have spent here can be measured in minutes. Though, if you must know, it's been a century or two since I came to work for her. At least, I believe that to be true. Really, it becomes quite difficult to keep track of time here." The bird took a moment to fly down even lower, stopping at the lowest branch on the tree, roughly nine feet off the ground. "As for who I am…well I don't quite remember. I had a name once, but it hasn't been used for quite a while now. We don't get many visitors, so I often have no reason to introduce myself. But, if you would like, you can address me as Caretaker, since that is my job here."

"Ok, Caretaker. What do you want with us?" Although the bird didn't seem hostile, Marco still didn't trust him. He was _too_ polite, similar in mannerisms to a certain lizard.

"Me? Well, I supposed there isn't much _I_ want with you. I don't intend to harm you, if that is what you are implying. You can think of me as nothing more than a mere messenger."

"Messenger?" asked Marco, confused.

"For _her_?" Star chimed in, and both Marco and Caretaker turned to her, surprised. Star's eyes were serious, something Marco didn't see that often. "You keep mentioning 'her' but you haven't said who she is yet. You said 'she' is upset, and that you work for 'her' but who is 'she'?"

Caretaker glanced at Marco for a moment, before he turned back to Star and smiled that creepy smile. "Well," he began. "The details can be saved for another time, I suppose. But I can say this: She is in charge of this pristine landscape before you. And she often doesn't take kindly to visitors who touch what isn't theirs. You'll meet her, in time. But, for now, you are free to explore. Or free to leave, if you find a way out. Just know that there are some things magic can't fix." With that, Caretaker began flapping his wings, slowly ascending away from Star and Marco. "I'll be back to check on you. In the meantime, try to stay safe." Then the bird took off into the sky.

Marco still had questions, but Caretaker was already gone. "What's was that about?" he mumbled to himself before turning to Star. "Are you alright? Nothing else is broken? And your leg? It's back to normal?"

Star's gaze softened and she gave Marco a smile and replied, "Yeah, I'm all good now! Thanks, Marco, for coming after me."

"Of course. I can't just let you fly off into some random forest and _not_ come looking for you. Just…don't do that ever again. Please."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. Now, let's get out of here. There's something weird about this place and I don't like it. Especially after all that stuff the bird was saying about 'her'."

Marco nodded. "Yeah, it's probably best if we never have to see who he was talking about. Unfortunately, I didn't grab the scissors before I ran over here, since I was too worried about _someone_ to remember them, so we're going to have to walk back to that hill first. I think the way out of here was…" Marco paused to look around, before settling on which way to go. "This way. C'mon."

The boy took Star's hand and the pair slowly began making their way through the forest.

 **And there's Chapter 2. Hope you all liked it! Just a heads up, I'm taking this story in an entirely new direction than what I'm used to writing, so I'm going to apologize now if it ends up being really bad. Also, I promise I don't usually leave this many author's notes on my stories. This is just a weird exception. :P Anyway, I hope you guys continue to enjoy my stories! Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A short chapter, but I hope you enjoy it.**

"Can you see it?" called Marco.

"Yeah, it's straight ahead! Looks like we're going the right way after all!" replied Star.

The pair had been walking for a while now and had begun to doubt that they were really walking in the right direction, back towards the hill. So Star decided to put her initial plan into action, and clambered her way up the nearest pine tree. The hill didn't seem too far now; it was only maybe a mile or two away.

"Seriously, though! You _have_ to be impressed with how far I flew! I must have landed _sooo_ far from that hill," proclaimed Star, proud of her flight.

"Yeah, I would know. I was the one that had to run all the way over there to get you," sighed Marco. The boy was starting to get tired. Somehow, it felt like it had been a long day. First, there was the before-school dimension hopping. Then Star tried to drag him out of class. And, of course, there was Star firing herself out of a cannon. And then running through this creepy forest, helping Star fix her leg, listening to that weird bird. And now, he had to make this long hike back to that hill to get their stuff and go home. It wasn't the weirdest or most exhausting day Marco had with Star, but something about today seemed to be wearing him out.

Of course, Star, being the endless ball of energy that she is, didn't seem fazed, and Marco didn't want to discourage her, since she seemed set on leaving as soon as possible. So he kept his mouth shut and didn't complain, deciding to take a nap as soon as they got home.

More time passed, and the pair just kept walking. But they still didn't see any hills. After a while, Star climbed another tree and, once again, confirmed they were heading in the right direction. "But, something's weird," called Star from the treetops. "I don't think we've moved."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, it looks like we're still we're a mile or so away. We should have made it by now, but it's like we haven't made any progress at all," explained Star as she jumped back to the ground.

Marco looked around. "Well, it's hard to say if we've been walking in circles with since there aren't many landmarks around here. But we don't really have much of a choice, do we? The only thing we can do is keep walking."

"Yeah, we could do that. Or…" Star held up her wand mischievously. "We could try something else," suggested the princess in a sing-song voice.

Marco frowned at the idea of blasting themselves over the trees, since doing just that was the primary reason they were lost in the first place, but he couldn't argue that it would be a much faster way to travel. Sighing in defeat, the boy grabbed Star's arm as she prepared herself for lift-off.

"Bunny Rocket Blast!"

A moment later, the pair was flying through the air. Then, they were on the ground. Then in the air, as Star rocketed them away again. This cycle repeated itself a few times as Star and Marco soared over the trees. But Marco noticed something strange. "Wait, Star. Hold on a second."

The pair landed their current flight, and Star looked at Marco, confused. "What's up?"

"Climb up there and take a look," replied Marco. Star obeyed and climbed up the nearest tree. And was shocked to see that the hill was still the same distance away. "We still haven't moved."

Star jumped back down, frustrated. "Well, what are we supposed to do now? We can't get out of here and we can't go forward. And we've been walking for forever!"

Marco looked up at the sky. "That's the other thing. We've been here for at least a couple hours by now, but it doesn't look like it's getting any darker. Back on Earth, the sun should be close to setting, but here, it still looks like early afternoon, same as when we got here. So I guess, for now," Marco sat down beneath a tree, secretly happy to finally be getting some rest. "We should probably take a break and try to come up with a plan instead of wasting energy running around. It's not getting us anywhere anyway."

Star pouted, but, unable to argue, walked over and sat down next to Marco.

The pair spent a few minutes talking, trying to figure out where exactly they were and what was going on. However, in the warmth of the sun and shade of the tree, it wasn't long before the two teens dozed off, leaning against each other, sleeping peacefully.

* * *

Above them, looking down on the sleeping pair, Caretaker sighed. As promised, he returned to check on them. Really, he had been watching them the whole time, and, as he watched, he felt something that he hadn't felt in a long time.

Pity.

"Such a lovely sight. Youth is such a wonderful thing. But, Miss Star, with youth comes recklessness. And recklessness can lead to ruin. Really, it is unfortunate that you two came here. Truly a shame." He looked up to gaze over the treetops. "Though I'm not foolish enough to hope she forgives you, I pray she has mercy on you."


	4. Chapter 4

After waking up from their brief nap, Star and Marco resumed walking. As they had expected, it didn't seem to be getting them anywhere, but, without any other ideas, they didn't really have a choice.

It became rather peaceful. Just two friends on a nice stroll through the forest. Having, for the most part, given up on finding a quick escape out of their situation, Star decided to welcome the opportunity to take a break from her usual hijinks. Though she still had a strange feeling about the forest, Star figured that, if nothing else, she should enjoy the respite from battling monsters and bask in the calm of the forest.

Of course, it _was_ still Star, and just because she was relaxing didn't mean she was any less energetic. All that energy had to go somewhere, and, in this case, she exerted it though speech. The princess had hardly stopped talking since the pair had awoken from their nap. She passed the time regaling Marco with tales of her previous adventures, both on Mewni and on Earth. The boy listened politely, laughing along as Star told her stories.

Hours passed. Or, at least, what felt like hours. Caretaker hadn't been lying when he said it was difficult to keep tract of time.

"Anyway, that was the first time Pony Head and I got kicked out of the Bounce Lounge."

"Uh-huh."

"So, after that, we had to go talk to the bouncers and try to get back in, and that didn't work."

"Yeah."

"So then we had to try to sneak in and – "

"Mmm."

Star stopped mid-story and turned to face Marco. The boy was walking a few steps behind Star, looking at the ground as he went. His face was flushed, and he was sweating. He looked tired. "Hey, you okay, Marco? You've been kinda slow. And you don't look so hot."

Marco glanced up at Star before returning his gaze to the ground. His eyes were glazed over. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just…feel…" Marco tripped, and Star rushed over to grab him before he hit the ground.

"Hey! Marco! Marco!"

The boy didn't answer. He simply lay in Star's arms, struggling to breathe, a pained look on his face. "Hey! What's wrong with you!? Marco!"

"Perhaps I might be of some assistance?" chimed a voice from above.

Star looked up to see Caretaker perched in a blooming cherry blossom. His dark outline seemed grating against the gentle pink of the beautiful flowers. Star glared at him, but didn't move from her spot, unwilling to set down her best friend. "What did you do?! What did you do to Marco?!" demanded the princess.

Caretaker feigned shock. "Me? Again with these accusations! Really, you two must learn to trust people. As I said before, I have no intention of causing you any harm. I'm merely the messenger."

Star scoffed. "Yeah, _really_ looks like you haven't caused any harm. You made Marco sick! Fix him!"

Caretaker looked over Marco for a minute. The boy was still clearly suffering, but it didn't look too serious yet. So Caretaker, ever loyal to his duty, stalled for a little longer. "When could I have done such a thing? You two have been together for almost as long as you've been here. And, in the few minutes you were separated, I was engaged in conversation with you, dear Star. When would I have found the time to hurt Marco?"

Star was getting frustrated. "Then who did?"

"Perhaps this is her work?"

"AND WHO THE HELL IS SHE?"

Star laid Marco down on the grass before letting out her anger. She was tired. She was lost. And now Marco was sick, and this crow refused to give her a straight answer. She was about ready to release a few Narwhal Blasts. Caretaker, however, didn't flinch. Instead, he simply said, "I've already told you."

Star had enough. "WHATEVER! I'm done with these stupid riddles. I'll just fix him myself and blast my way out of here." Star pointed her wand towards Marco and took a moment to think of a healing spell. Caretaker, however, tried to intervene.

"I wouldn't do that. I believe I already warned you. Magic can't fix everything. You'll be wasting your energy."

Star ignored him and blasted Marco with a colorful magic beam anyway. The beam, however, was deflected, almost as if Marco was surrounded by some magical barrier. So Star fired again. And again, the beam was deflected.

"I told you. Your spells have no meaning here. In this forest, she reigns supreme. And, unfortunately, that means she is the only one who can save your friend. That is, if she feels like it."

Star whirled around to face the bird. She tried to look angry, but it was difficult to mask the sense of dread and panic that was growing within her. The girl opened her mouth to speak but was unsure what she should say. So Caretaker continued, "Lift off his jacket. I'm sure you'll be able to see the problem."

Star obeyed. She removed Marco's hoodie and was shocked by what she saw. What looked like a huge green bruise covered most of Marco's upper right arm and reached as far as his collarbone. Dark colored veins reached out in every direction, signifying that there was no sign of the problem slowing down any time soon.

"There you have it," deadpanned Caretaker. "The boy's been poisoned. If that toxin manages to overtake his lungs, he'll suffocate. Or if it reaches his brain, he'll quickly fall comatose. Or, perhaps, if it travels as far as his heart…"

Star's heart nearly stopped. Her anger quickly dissipated, and, in its place, there remained only worry and panic. She had brought Marco here. She had gotten him poisoned. She might be the reason Marco dies. She didn't want that. She'd accept anything but that. Turning back to Caretaker, tears in her eyes, Star begged, "Take me to her. Please. I don't want to lose Marco."

Caretaker gestured to something behind her. "I believe she has already marked the path."

Star looked behind her to see that the trees had become twisted and distorted. Their canopies had grown thick, blocking out the sun completely, turning the day to night. A dark aura hung over the whole area, as the trees rearranged their branches into an archway, leading off further into the terrifying forest. Star glanced back at Caretaker, who simply gestured once more. Picking up Marco, carrying him in a piggyback, Star began her march down the ominous path.

A few minutes passed before Star arrived at a clearing. It was perfectly circular, branches and roots creating a wall around the whole area. As soon as Star emerged from the archway, her exit closed behind her. Everything was engulfed in darkness, except for a single spot, right in the center. In that beam of light sat a throne made of twisted roots and branches, raised up on a tree stump, about ten feet above the ground. A thin layer of leaves growing above the throne provided a little shade, so one could sit on the throne without being in direct sunlight.

Caretaker flew by Star, perching on a small ledge at the foot of the throne. "I believe you wanted to meet her. Well, here she is," said the bird, and, though he looked at Star, he didn't appear to be talking to her. Star was about to ask what he was talking about when, suddenly, someone on the throne moved.

Looking back, Star saw that there had been a figure resting on the throne, sitting so perfectly still that Star hadn't seen them at first. The figure reached up and moved the branches above the throne, bringing themselves into full view as the sun's beams revealed them. On the throne sat a beautiful woman, appearing to be no older than thirty. Almost everything about her had a greenish hue. She worn a long, green gown that appeared to be made entirely of leaves, meticulously sewn together into a complex, dazzling pattern. The woman herself was tall, perhaps seven or eight feet, with long, light green hair curling down her back, almost reaching her feet. Her eyes were emerald green, matching her high-heeled shoes. From her ears hung twin four-leaf clovers. Even her skin had a slight green tint.

The only thing that stood out in stark contrast to the rest of her being was the crown of black roses that sat upon her lovely head.

"Indeed," chimed the woman, in a melodic voice. "Here she is." Her voice was almost heavenly, so comforting and reassuring that it bordered on unsettling.

For a moment, no one said anything else. The woman sat, hands clasped on her lap, staring at Star, while Star, still carrying Marco, stared back.

It was Star who broke the silence. "Fix Marco and let us leave. We haven't done anything wrong."

"Hmph," came the woman's reply. "I see you've yet to learn any manners from my Caretaker. Well, I suppose that means I will be the one to begin introductions." The woman rose from her throne and curtsied. "As you should well know, I am the one who controls this forest. And I'm sure you could tell, but I am also aware of everything that goes on within it. What you may not know, however, is that I am aware of the happenings within nature everywhere, in your dimension, and in all dimensions that exist. For I am the one called Mother Nature."

Mother Nature walked down from her throne, branches growing out from the walls to act as her steps. As she approached Star, she continued her speech. "And I'm afraid I must disagree with you. You have done something wrong. You, as a Mewman, and him," she nodded towards Marco. "As a human. Both your kinds have exploited nature, destroying it for your own sake, seeking riches at the expense of the beauty I have created. You beings are inexplicably drawn to gold. That much is obvious by how eager you were to see my cannon. Using such simple bait to lure people like you into my forest, then watching as you slowly waste away; that much is too generous a punishment for the wrongs you have done to me. You should be glad I am not one to eagerly resort to violence."

Mother Nature now loomed directly over Star, a terrifying figure in the dim light of the clearing. Despite the woman's elegance, there was some sinister aura about her. Something that felt off. "So I ask you: what right do you have to demand health? What right do you have to demand freedom? When all your kind has done is poison and control the things I have created?"

Star was no longer able to hold the giant woman's gaze, and she quickly looked towards the ground. Mother Nature, feeling as though she had made her point, turned to walk away.

"Please…"

Mother Nature looked over her shoulder to see Star laying Marco down. His breathing was becoming quicker and shallower. The poison was slowly, steadily making its way across his chest, towards his heart. Star remained on her knees, looking down at her best friend, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Please," she continued. "Please, just save Marco. This is all my fault. I dragged him here. Please, he doesn't deserve to die. I promise if you save him, I'll do everything in my power to stop Mewmans from destroying more forests. I'll even do what I can on Earth. Please! I don't want him to die…"

Mother Nature turned back to Star and scoffed. "'Everything in your power'? And exactly what power do you hold, girl? The power to rid a species of its greed? I know who you are, Princess Butterfly, but not even you could change the ways of your people."

"Then kill me instead!"

 **I started this chapter in February. It was done at the beginning of March. It is now April. For that, I apologize. I will also apologize now for the fact that it may take a while for the next chapter to be up. Or maybe it won't. Honestly, my life is a mess right now, as it always has been, so I have no idea when I'll write the next chapter. But hopefully, it'll be up reasonably soon! Anyway, thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Another short chapter, done much earlier than I had anticipated. Please enjoy!**

"Then kill me instead!"

Star's words seemed to hang in the air for a moment. Star herself was barely able to hold her composure, fighting back tears as she tried her best to look brave. Though she truly did mean what she had said, it was hard to mask the fear within her. There was no telling whether the woman before her would accept the offer, but, if she did, it would mean the end of Star Butterfly. The thought of death terrified her, but there was no way Star could accept Marco's fate. This was the only way.

Mother Nature regarded Star with a cold stare, while Caretaker looked on, wearing a strange expression of fear and curiosity. After a moment, Mother Nature took a few steps towards Star. "You, royalty, would die to save this boy? He matters that much to you?"

Star, unwilling to speak for fear that she would be incapable of holding back tears, nodded furiously.

Mother Nature's gaze slowly changed from apathetic to amused. "Interesting," she mused. "Perhaps I misjudged your character, girl. To be willing to sacrifice so much for a single person; that is no small feat of loyalty. Truly, you have my respect." The giant woman took a few more steps towards Star until she was standing right in front of the princess. "Best say your goodbyes."

Tears began to stream down Star's cheeks. She glanced over at Marco. The young man was still laying on ground, face contorted with pain. His breathing was labored and sweat covered his body. Based on the horrific green bruise spreading over his chest, he didn't have much time left. The best estimate Star could make was about 15 minutes. She had to save him. She had to do this. With an unsteady voice, Star quietly whispered, "Goodbye, Marco. I'm so, so sorry."

Closing her eyes, she braced herself for whatever fate awaited her. Any moment now, she would feel some kind of sharp pain or crushing impact, and everything would fade to black. A second passed. Then another. And another. Nothing happened.

Slowly, Star opened her eyes to see what was going on and came face to face with Mother Nature. The towering figure had bent down and was mere inches from Star. There was a terrifying look in her eyes. Nothing good. Nothing righteous. Just pure, crazed evil. "Best say your goodbyes," she repeated. "Since you'll be watching your precious friend die."

The woman returned to her full height. Behind her, Marco had been lifted into the air by tree branches. They coiled around his body like a snake. Then, slowly, they began to constrict. Marco cried out in agony, but, in his weakened state, there was little he could do to resist.

Star looked on in terror. Tears continued to run down the girl's cheeks, but, for a moment, she was frozen. Mother Nature simply turned away from the princess and began walking back to her throne. Once again, however, her return was interrupted by Star. The young blonde fired a Narwhal Blast, but, like her healing spell on Marco, the magic was deflected, and Mother Nature was unscathed. Still, the blast caught the woman's attention and she looked over her shoulder at the girl, annoyance written all over her face.

"I thought we had a deal!" cried Star. "You're supposed to kill me!"

Mother Nature resumed her walk to her throne. "I never agreed to any deal. I simply said you earned my respect. And I mean it. To be willing to give up your life for a friend is a beautiful thing. Unfortunately, I don't particularly care in which order you die. I mean to kill both of you anyway, so what does it matter? The boy should be easier to kill, since he is already so nearly dead because of the poison, so why not start there?"

Star continued to fire beam after beam, releasing every offensive spell in her arsenal, but nothing seemed to work. Each spell was deflected. Nothing seemed capable of penetrating Mother Nature's barrier. Suddenly, Star felt something hit her right below the ribs, sending her flying across the clearing. When she got back on her feet, the princess saw dozens more branches had grown out of the nearby trees. They moved as if they were tentacles, hitting and grabbing at Star, making it infinitely more difficult to find an opening for attack.

As the girl attempted to dodge her new foes, she remained distinctly aware of her best friend's cries. But, as the fight raged on, Marco's screams seemed more distant. Another hit sent Star flying into a tree trunk. Dazed, the girl looked around, but everything seemed blurry. Sounds were muffled, and her body was slow and unresponsive. The only thing in her vision that was clear was Mother Nature, sitting with an unsettling smirk on her throne, enjoying Star's struggles.

The princess tried to stand, but, as she did so, she caught a glimpse of her arms. Both were covered in cuts from the branches, and each cut was a sickly green. One cut had stopped Marco in a matter of hours. The dozens of cuts covering Star's body looked like they would take her life in as little as a few minutes. Immobilized, the girl fell back into the dirt.

It was hopeless. Star had failed. In the distance, Marco continued to struggle. The clear crunch of bone could be heard as the branches finally managed to snap Marco's arms. It wouldn't be long now before he was completely crushed, assuming the poison didn't get to his heart first. Star could barely move, and, once again, tears fell as she realized what she had done. Not only had she, once again, put herself and her friend in danger, but, this time, she couldn't save them. She couldn't save anyone. Now, in this horrible forest, she and Marco were condemned to die, and it was all her fault. She could no longer even muster the strength to apologize.

It was over.

"Her crown, Star! You must remove her crown!"

Caretaker's voice snapped Star out of her depression. The girl struggled to look up, hoping to learn more about how to defeat her enemy. But she was greeted only by the image of the crow impaled by the branch he had perched upon. "Insolent bird. Disobeying your master. And after all I've done for you. Really, what a shameful way to die," muttered Mother Nature, tossing Caretaker's body to the side. He landed a few feet from Star. Seeing the poor bird's body instilled within Star a renewed rage. Though she hadn't been too fond of Caretaker, she didn't think he deserved to die. Star absolutely had to stop this woman.

Running through all the spells in her knowledge, Star tried to find one that would work best. She would only get one shot at this. Gathering what little strength she had left, Star raised her wand to Mother Nature and shouted, "Levitato!"

It wasn't her favorite spell, nor was it the most glamorous, but, unlike all the other spells she had unleased, this one had no beam of magic to deflect. Just as Star had hoped, the crown of black roses on Mother Nature's head began to levitate, and quickly delivered itself to the princess.

With the last of her strength, Star snapped the crown in half, then passed out.

 **Action scenes are hard to write, but I tried! Hope it was good. Next chapter will probably be the last, but I have some stuff planned for it, so we'll see how it goes.**


	6. Chapter 6

Star jolted upright, finally regaining consciousness after fainting from her wounds. Looking around, she found herself laying on a bed of grass near the middle of a brightly lit clearing in the forest, surrounded by vibrantly colored flowers. The area seemed familiar yet was completely different from anything Star had ever seen. The whole clearing was full of roses, tulips, and countless other flowers, blooming in unison. It was gorgeous.

It wasn't until Star noticed the throne sitting in the middle of the clearing that she realized it was the same area in which she had fought Mother Nature. The thick canopy that had been blocking out the sun was no longer there, allowing sunlight to flood in, changing the entire atmosphere. With the addition of the sea of flowers, the whole area seemed much more light-hearted than its previous dark and dreary appearance.

The throne itself had also been significantly downsized, explaining why it had taken a moment for Star to realize it was there. Instead of rising above the forest floor, the throne sat on the ground, in the center of the clearing, wrapped in bright green vines, adorned with a bouquet of white flowers. The serenity that now seemed to define the forest was truly awe-inspiring.

However, Star's appreciation for the new-found beauty was short-lived as she realized Marco was nowhere to be found. Jumping to her feet, she began wandering the clearing, looking for Marco's signature red hoodie among the flowers.

And she found it, ripped and torn, laying near the outskirts of the clearing.

Picking up her friend's hoodie, Star was in disbelief. This was the only sign Marco was ever here. Mother Nature seemed to be missing as well. The only explanation that crossed Star's mind was the worst possible outcome. Somehow, Star had survived, yet Marco had died. She had lost her best friend, and this torn jacket was the only thing left of him.

Tears formed in the girl's eyes, but there was no time to cry. Behind her, Star heard rustling as someone came through the forest and began walking across the clearing. Misty-eyed, Star whirled around, wand at the ready, fully prepared to blast away anyone involved in the loss of her best friend.

"Woah, Star, wait! It's me!"

Immediately, Star dropped her wand and tackled Marco into a hug. Though the boy was without his hoodie, his white T-shirt and black jeans still seemed to be intact. But, more importantly, it seemed that he had made a full recovery. Unwilling to let go of her best friend, Star began a flurry of apologies. "Marco, I'm so, so sorry. I didn't think this would happen. I didn't know anything about this forest. I swear on my life I will never put you through anything like this ever again. I never want this to happen ever again. I thought I lost you forever. I'm soooo sorry."

A few teardrops fell from Star's eyes as a wave of relief washed over her. She continued to hold onto Marco as the boy returned the hug and replied, "It's ok, Star. Everything's ok now. We did it. We survived. We can go home."

They stayed like that for a few more moments before Star remembered something. "Wait, what happened to Mother Nature?"

Marco's expression changed to one of sadness as, quietly, he said, "She's uh…burying Caretaker." Star gave Marco a blank stare, before remembering the fight, moments before she fell unconscious. Caretaker's body landing no more than a few feet from her, lifeless and frail. The memory filled Star with a feeling of guilt, as she couldn't help but think that Caretaker's attempt to save Star had cost him his life. His death was on her hands.

"But, wait. Does that mean everything's ok now? Mother Nature isn't gonna try to kill us?"

"No, I'm not. And let me take this moment to apologize for what I've done to you both."

The two teens turned to see Mother Nature emerging from the forest, graceful as ever. Everything about her appearance seemed to be the same as before, minus the black crown. But there was also a genuine kindness in her eyes now, and her smile seemed sincere. Rather than the foreboding aura that emanated from her before, there was a warmth to her being now, something reassuring about her presence. "Yes, I would like to offer my sincerest apologies for what you have been through. I never intended for this to happen and was tricked into bringing harm where I should have sought to spread peace. I was even driven to take the life of a dear companion, and for that, I may never be able to forgive myself."

As Mother Nature approached the pair, Star remained wary, but Marco placed his hand on her shoulder, assuring Star that the threat was gone. The princess, however, still wasn't quite ready to believe the woman who almost took her best friend's life. "How do I know I can trust you? After everything that happened, I don't know if I believe you yet."

Mother Nature smiled, something that, by itself, was enough to put Star's suspicions to rest. "You don't trust me, and I cannot blame you for that. After all, only a fool would so willingly accept that an enemy would have a change of heart so quickly. So I offer you this as proof: you still stand, do you not? If I wanted to kill you, the opportunity has passed. You were unconscious and Marco incapacitated. If my intention was to take your life, why are you both in perfect health? The answer is simple: I healed you. Though I think it hardly makes up for the wrongs I have done, I do believe it is a fine start, don't you?"

With that, Star lowered her guard. It was Marco's turn to chime in. "You took a bit longer to recover, since you had a lot more poison in you than I did. You were out for a while, so I was coming by to check on you when you almost Narwhal Blasted me," chuckled Marco. Then he turned to Mother Nature and asked, "So, can we go home now? It's probably pretty late back on Earth, and it's kind of been a long day."

"Yes, in a moment, you will be free to head home. And don't worry too much about time. This realm exists outside of the natural flow of time. Father Time has no control here. I'm sure you've noticed how it never gets dark. When you return to your dimension, it will be the same time as when you left."

Star smiled at this. "Awesome! That means we still have time to do some more dimension-hopping before we head home!"

Marco groaned. "Star, c'mon. Have you really learned nothing from all this? Dimension-hopping is part of the reason we ended up in this mess!"

"I just meant we could hit up the Bounce Lounge or something," pouted Star.

Marco rolled his eyes.

"If you do plan to traverse different dimensions, I do have some advice to offer you: be wary of where you travel. There is something sinister brewing somewhere in the universe and it seems to be targeting one of you. Which is why I ask that you give me a few moments before you return home." Mother Nature's words immediately got the attention of the two teenagers, who looked at the woman with curious eyes.

"That crown," Mother Nature continued. "Did not originate in this forest. Yet it had enough power to control me completely. Such powerful magic should not be taken lightly. Unfortunately for us, its creator is smart. I have no memory of who placed the crown on me, or for how long I had it on. All I can recall is that I was compelled to create that ornate cannon, knowing that, somehow, it would draw you to me. I was filled with nothing but murderous intent, fully believing that destroying you two would somehow stop the destruction of nature in your respective dimensions. That, of course, was nothing but a fool's dream."

Star and Marco both looked guilty for a moment. "Oh, right. Sorry, by the way, about all the deforestation and other nature-destroying our people are doing. We'll try to fix that," mumbled Star.

Mother Nature, however, laughed and replied, "Don't worry yourselves about it. As living beings, just like the trees and the flowers, you are my children as well. Though it pained me at first to see the destruction, your kinds are working on improving, and causing less harm to my other creations. Seeing you grow has filled me with pride, and I look forward to your newest innovations."

"But, about the crown," interjected Marco. "Is it possible Caretaker gave it to you? I don't mean any offense, but he kinda gave off a shady first impression."

"No, it would not have been my Caretaker," answer Mother Nature. "He was loyal to me. He served me for centuries. The strange impression he gave you was likely my fault. He struggled to accept the evil thoughts that had been placed in my mind and was conflicted in his service to me while the crown sat upon my brow. His only defiance was what saved us all, but it also resulted in his tragic death. No, it would not have been him.

"I will continue to look into the matter and will do my best to keep you informed of my findings. I'm afraid that is all the warning I can give you for now. Until I know more, please do your best to remain cautious. I'm not sure what power you may face, but it is sure to be unlike anything you've faced before."

Star and Marco nodded in unison, Mother Nature's warning giving them mixed feelings about their next adventure. On one hand, it sounded like the most exciting time of their lives. On the other hand, the threat of death seemed much more real this time, especially after their fight with Mother Nature.

"But I don't wish to dampen the mood any further. So please, feel free to return home. Once again, I sincerely apologize for everything that has transpired here." Mother Nature gestured as trees shifted to form a pathway, one that lead directly from the clearing to the hill where the two teens had first arrived. "Until we meet again, I wish you the best."

Star and Marco thanked their former enemy and quickly made their way back up the hill. Upon arriving at the hill's summit, Marco let out a sigh of relief to see that their school supplies and, more importantly, the dimensional scissors were right where they had left them.

Snagging the dimensional scissors, Star turned to Marco and asked, "So where should we –"

"Home," interrupted Marco.

Star pouted again.

"Oh, c'mon Star. After everything that just happened, you still want to go dimension-hopping? I need a nap. Not to mention, we have a test next week and we need to study. We can goof off this weekend."

"Pleeeaaasssee?" begged Star. "Just for a little while? We'll only go to the Bounce Lounge and hang out for, like, an hour."

"Not today, Star. I need a break. That was the closest we've been to dying in a while, and I would very much appreciate a little time to unwind before we go on another death-defying adventure."

"It's just the Bounce Lounge! There's no death to defy!"

"I almost died when you first took me there! Remember?"

"Oh, right…"

The pair continued like this for a while, eventually settling on Marco's plan to head straight home. But as the best friends quickly returned to their usual attitudes, acting as if nothing had happened despite the hardships they had just recently faced, neither chose to mention Mother Nature's warning. The cryptic message had left them feeling uneasy about what lay ahead yet discussing it would likely do nothing but make the feeling worse.

So, for now, Star and Marco returned home, glad to relax the rest of the day away, yet filled with a new sense of dread, anxious to see when this mysterious new enemy would reveal themselves.

 **I feel like this could have been written better, but I don't think I possess the necessary writing ability to do that. Anyway, if it wasn't already obvious, I'm gonna try to write a sequel to this. Don't know when or how, but hopefully, when I have more fully-formed ideas, I'll start working ASAP. But, for now, thanks for reading my stuff! Hope you enjoyed it!**


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